The complimentary soup arrived first. It was described as a tofu and mushroom soup. I would describe it as a black pepper soup. It was unfortunately not well balanced at all. In fact it was entirely one-noted - strong oily black pepper flavour with no broth complexity at all. Extremely disappointing start.

It was disappointingly unbalanced. One of the things I like about a good pad kra pao gai is the interplay of Thai basil herbal flavours with the saltiness of fish sauce and the spiciness of Thai chili peppers. There was a minimal amount of basil, so only about 1 out of 4 bites had any hint of basil. I sensed no chili at all - other than the flavour of dried chili flakes. There was an overpowering amount of green beans, onions, and oil. This was not a well balanced dish at all sadly.

It was disappointingly unbalanced. One of the things I like about a good pad kra pao gai is the interplay of Thai basil herbal flavours with the saltiness of fish sauce and the spiciness of Thai chili peppers. There was a minimal amount of basil, so only about 1 out of 4 bites had any hint of basil. I sensed no chili at all - other than the flavour of dried chili flakes. There was an overpowering amount of green beans, onions, and oil. This was not a well balanced dish at all sadly.

I ordered the classic schnitzel sandwich ($10). It was a nicely pounded piece of meat that was tender and breaded perfectly. The size was generous and it hung over all four sides of the roll, hiding the bottom part of the roll entirely! Snuck onto the roll were some baby spinach, a slice of tomato, and a spiced mayo. The schnitzel itself was on the lesser seasoned side (I prefer it that way to avoid the overly salty flavour you sometimes get), and the spiced mayo enhanced the flavours beautifully bringing it to just the right level of seasoning. Eating the schnitzel on its own it would likely require seasoning....But on the sandwich a complete bite was perfectly seasoned. The breading was crisp while the meat was still tender to the bite.

I ordered the classic schnitzel sandwich ($10). It was a nicely pounded piece of meat that was tender and breaded perfectly. The size was generous and it hung over all four sides of the roll, hiding the bottom part of the roll entirely! Snuck onto the roll were some baby spinach, a slice of tomato, and a spiced mayo. The schnitzel itself was on the lesser seasoned side (I prefer it that way to avoid the overly salty flavour you sometimes get), and the spiced mayo enhanced the flavours beautifully bringing it to just the right level of seasoning. Eating the schnitzel on its own it would likely require seasoning....But on the sandwich a complete bite was perfectly seasoned. The breading was crisp while the meat was still tender to the bite.

I tried the beef burek "regular" slice ($8), and it was just as good as the Burnaby location. They make the kore (phyllo) in house. Yes, in house, not frozen made in a factory. That is a lot of work - but it entirely pays off. The kore was thin and crunchy and was wrapped in many layers around the nicely seasoned beef. Delicious! The portion size is quite large too, and they do offer a "small" slice which is about half a "regular" portion as well. But I couldn't resist a "regular" since it has been so long!

I tried the beef burek "regular" slice ($8), and it was just as good as the Burnaby location. They make the kore (phyllo) in house. Yes, in house, not frozen made in a factory. That is a lot of work - but it entirely pays off. The kore was thin and crunchy and was wrapped in many layers around the nicely seasoned beef. Delicious! The portion size is quite large too, and they do offer a "small" slice which is about half a "regular" portion as well. But I couldn't resist a "regular" since it has been so long!

Based upon the espresso today it is up to the standards of the original location - hooray! Now I don't know if that is because they just opened and they are focusing on quality/consistency carefully or if it will be a regular thing at this location. I sure hope it is a regular thing - it would be nice to have a 2nd consistent espresso location from them!

This was a pleasant surprise. The beef keema was nicely seasoned with a rich complex set of spices. It was served over a mid-quality rice with a side of refreshing salad to cool the heat from the beef keema. A very satisfying quick lunch for $7.95.